ALMOST 100 lorries a day clog Britain's roads carrying freight from Southern ports to the North, according to figures that will boost the campaign to expand Teesport.

A staggering 650,000 tonnes of cargo is carried to destinations north of the M62 every year after being shipped into Essex, Greater London and Suffolk.

The figure is the equivalent of 25,000 lorryloads, which works out at 481 lorries every week - or 96 every working day.

Campaigners say it is overwhelming evidence of the need to expand Teesport.

A £300m application is being drawn up to build a deep-sea container terminal to bring in freight from the Far East and elsewhere, which could create 7,000 jobs.

But it is threatened by parallel applications, under consideration at the Department for Transport, to expand already congested southern ports at Felixtowe, Harwich and London.

One of the strongest arguments of the Teesport campaigners is that the South-East is already suffering the consequences of traffic jams and pollution.

Vera Baird, Labour MP for Redcar, said: "This freight going north of the M62 is environmental pollution that we could do without if Teesport was expanded.

"And it would also give a boost to a sub-region which still has twice the national average rate of unemployment.

"These figures further bolster the case for Teesport and we will make use of them when we meet the ports minister Stephen Ladyman later this month."

At a meeting with campaigners on Thursday, July 21, Mr Ladyman will be urged to fast-track a decision on Teesport, without awaiting completion of an overall ports strategy, not expected until next year. The freight figures were revealed by the Department for Transport in answer to a series of parliamentary questions tabled by Ms Baird.

The 650,000 tonnes does not include cargo taken North from Southern ports by rail, an amount the department was unable to calculate.

Yesterday, Ms Baird and Dari Taylor, Labour MP for Stockton South, both quizzed planning minister Jim Fitzpatrick about the port expansion applications.

PD Ports, Teesport's parent company, has argued its plans could be set back by more than a decade if the expansion of southern ports is approved.

But Mr Fitzpatrick replied: "I cannot comment on specific planning proposals. However, I am confident that Teesport has a strong future in supporting both international trade and regional regeneration."

The campaign suffered a blow last month when Mr Ladyman rejected calls to publish a National Ports Strategy before the go-ahead is given to expand any Southern port.

Ms Baird will be joined by other Teesside MPs and Martyn Pellew, PD Ports group's development director, at the meeting this month.

Mr Pellew said that the preliminary "scoping document" had been submitted to stakeholders, before the full planning application for Teesport goes in later in the summer.